New Cap File Editor With Washington Roots Impresses CAG

Editor Kate Bennett jumped in at the last minute to replace author Kitty Kelley (tending to a sick friend) as the speaker for the monthly meeting of the Citizens Association of Georgetown on Sept. 20 at the Latham Hotel. If anyone had been disappointed not to see Kelley tell her celebrity and politico tales, they were quickly charmed by Bennett, the new editor at Niche Media’s luxury magazine, Capitol
File. The former editor of Niche’s Vegas Magazine replaces Susan Schaffer who is now Cap File’s publisher.

Bennett considers both D.C. and Vegas a “one-horse town,” as in government and gaming. “Vegas is a place to visit at least once,” she said. “You can live well there if you play your cards right.” Pun intended.

While she may have just arrived from Las Vegas, where she lived for 11 years, Bennett is from Chevy Chase. She went to Miss Porter’s School in Connecticut and St. John’s College in Annapolis. With its Great Books program, Bennett cites “The Odyssey” as her favorite. Her father, James Glassman, is well known in Washington journalism circles, having worked at The New Republic, The Washington Weekly, U.S News, Roll Call and other publications, think tanks and TV shows. Glassman, a columnist and diplomat, now heads up the Bush Institute. Bennett’s husband is from Annandale. “We met in the bar in Vegas,” she laughed.

Bennett is “amazed at the changes in D.C.,”especially the fine dining choices. Niche’s Jason Binn is her “fearless leader.” As for Cap File, she said, “If it’s hot, hip and fashionable, we’re on it.” She added that she wants “smarter, more intelligent stories.”

“Capitol File is a classy magazine for D.C., and I want to make it even more respected.” It’s website relaunches on November 1. And those after-parties? Of course, more to come.